SOME of the world's leading gymnasts are set to be based in the North-East in the build-up to next year's Olympic Games.

The Benfield Centre of Sporting Excellence, which is home to the City of Newcastle Gymnastics Academy, is in talks with the Romanian Olympic Association over the establishment of a pre-Games training camp at the venue.

The gymnastics facility, in the east end of Newcastle, is renowned as one of the best-equipped training facilities in Europe, and the Romanian team are interested in basing themselves there in the 12 months leading up to next summer's Games.

Romania has a rich gymnastics history, with the country's best-known star, Nadia Comaneci, having won five gold medals at the Montreal and Moscow Olympics.

Their current team boasts two medallists from last year's World Championships in Holland. Ana Porgras won a gold medal on the balance beam, while Diana Maria Chelaru claimed a silver on the floor.

Attracting the Romanians to the North-East would be a notable coup, and could involve a number of local gymnasts attending training sessions to watch some of the world's leading competitors in action.

Benfield officials are also in talks with the Polish gymnastics authorities, and a Polish gymnast spent some time training at the facility earlier this summer.

WITH the start of next year's Games little more than a year away, a number of other training camp deals are being finalised.

The Sri Lankan Olympic squad will be based at Durham University, while Grenada's Olympic athletes will complete their preparations at the University of Sunderland.

Discussions have taken place between Teesside University officials and members of the Maldives Olympic Association, and the Tees Barrage is likely to host at least one canoeing squad in the months leading up to the London Games.

Tees Barrage officials travelled to Slovenia to generate interest at the recent World Championships, but a delay to the ongoing improvement scheme at the Barrage has prevented a deal being signed.

The new facility is due to be completed by September, and it is hoped that will still allow enough time to attract a leading Olympic nation to the site.

AS flagged up by The Insider at the start of last month, Lee Westwood was yesterday confirmed as the attached tour pro at the Close House course in Northumberland.

Westwood, who finished third at last month's US Open, was the guest of honour at the opening of the new Colt course at Close House in May.

As an attached Tour professional, Westwood will wear the Close House logo on his cap at every event, and will attend selected events at the course, which is owned by North-East businessman Graham Wylie, in 2011 and 2012.

With Rockliffe Hall having hosted the Trilby Tour on Thursday, the race between the two venues to bring regular European Tour golf back to the North-East is clearly hotting up.

THE date for the British Horseracing Authority's hearing into Howard Johnson's alleged breach of the welfare rules has been set for July 28.

The hearing, which is scheduled to last for two days, will take place at the BHA's headquarters in High Holborn, London.

Johnson, who is based at Crook, is accused of running a horse that had undergone a neurectomy, which is a procedure that involves severing nerve connection to the lower leg to cause numbness.

The procedure is banned under the Rules of Racing on welfare grounds, and Johnson could be handed a fine or a ban from the sport if found guilty.